Device for arranging articles on conveying means



Aug. 21, 1945. v H. o. NIEDERER E-rA| 2,383,270

-DEVICES FOR ARRANGING ARTICLES 0N CONVEYING MEANS Filed Nov. 21.1942 z-sheetssheet 1 Fig. E. 20

Aug. 2K1, 1945. H5 o. NIEERER rs1-AL 2,383,270

DEVIGES FOR ARRAIl'CrING ARTICLES ON CONVEYING MEANS Filed Nav. 21, 194k` sheetssheet 2 INVENTORS J BY OTTO C'. /V/EPERRl T'RNE Y Patented Aug. 21, 1945 DEVICE Fon ARRANGING ARTIoLEsoN v ooNvEYiNG MEANS t Herbert O. Niederer and Otto C; Niederer,`

Titusville, N. .I

Application November 21, 1942, Serial No. 466,504

This invention relates to mechanism `for feeding andarrangng articles on a conveying means `whereby they vmay, be spaced or positioned in a.l predetermined manner with. respect to the 3.

conveying means.

While the invention is of general application `and may be used in combination with many diflferent types of` mechanism it is hereinafter described with particular reference to its use with sorting mechanism such as the rivet sortingldevice ofthe copending application of Edward E. Garlits, Jr., Serial No. 450,929, filed July 14, 1942.

The rivet sorter'of said copending application embodies conveying means in the form of par- I...

allel bands. threads, wires or` other members which are spaced apart so that rivets "or other ,headed articles will be supported thereon with theheadsof the rivets resting on the bands while the shanlis of the rivets extend` downward between the bands'. The rivets thus'supported are jmoved with the conveying means past ejecting devices actuated by suitable means, such as a photoelectrie cell, to extract rivets "of different size `or type at different stations along the path of movement of the conveyor It is found in practice that rivets` sometimes are located crosswise of the bands or they' may be fed to the bands `or conveying means sorapidly that the heads of the rivets` overlap or areV too close together to insure `themost satisfactory and accurate` so-rting of the rivets. h

In order to overcome this diiculty' the present invention provides novel feeding mechanism and devices" for delivering rivets or other artii cles to conveying means and for positioning them in a predetermined arrangement `or` spaced relation on the conveying means topermit `the most `effective sorting, handling or treating of thearticles. Rivetswhich are turned crosswise or are Aotherwise arranged improperly on the bands are thus prevented from passing on to the, sorting mechanismor other'device for the treatment or handling thereof.

When used [with other types of conveying means` the "invention serves in a similar manner to reject improperly` positioned `articles andyto arrange articles in predetermined position on the conveyor. l I Y One of the objects of` the present invention is i toprovide a noveltypeof mechanism. for arranging articles on conveying means inlpredetermine@` relationtwith respect tothe conveying `means and withrespect to each other.-

`Another objectof theinvention is to provide struction shown in Figs.

.line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

.4. 'rivets to be sorted are carried extends horizon-v tally from the roller 4 and moves to the left as seen in Figs. l and 2 to ejecting devices, one of 3 Claims. r (Cl. 1228-34) .means for .spacing rivets orthe like on supporting bands or the like.

Afurther object of theinventon is to prevent the delivery of improperly positioned rivets` or` articles to sorting mechanism or the like.

, These and other objects and features of the present invention will appear from the following description thereof in which reference is made to the :figures of the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a, portion of a rivet `sorting machine .embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a. longitudinal vertical sectional View of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional VView ofthe con- 1 and 2 taken on the Fig. 5` is a. transverse verticalI sectional` View of` a rivet sorting machine of the typeshown in Fig. il illustrating a modified form vof a rivet sorting machine embodying the present invention. I

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the shown in Fig. 5. h In that form of `the invention selected for pur-` poses of illustrating -a preferred embodiment construction `thereof and as shown in the gures of the drawings, a. rivet sorting device is provided-with spaced bands 2 which are advanced by a driving roller The upper run of the lbands by which the which is `shown at 6. The spacing oi the bands Vis controlled by passage of the lower run thereof over flanged rollers 8 mounted on adjustable brackets IIJ so that' they are properly spaced on the driving roller, whereas additional flanged rollers I2 mounted on :brackets I4 serve tospace the upper run of the Vbands 2 as they approach the ejecting devices 6. The spacing of the bands 2 is controlled to permit rivets to be carried by `thebands with the heads I6 thereof resting on the bands and with the Shanks I8 thereof extending downward between the bands.

. Mixed accumulations of rivets to be sorted are `supplied to a hopper 20 and pass therefrom through a tufbe 22 provided with discharge openings 24. The outer end of the tube is closed and provided with a shaft 26, mounted for rota- 'tion in the bearing 28 while the portion of the tube adjacent the hopper is supported on the rollers 30. 'Ihe tube 22 is rotated by the pulley 32 on the shaft 26 through the =belt 34 and pulley 36 on shaft 38. The shaft 38 in turn is rotated bythe pulley 40 through belt 42 and pulley 44 driven by motor 46. Screws 48 are adjustably threaded into the tube 22 between the hopper 20 and discharge openings 24 and project into the tube so as to control the passage of rivets to the discharge openings. As the tube 22 rotates the rivets which have-passed the screws 48 `move on to the discharge openings so Athatzt'hey are'zfed frequently but a few at a time tothe chute 50 bands 2 near the driving roller. 4.. orderto prevent clogging of the rivets'inthe'hopperaand' t` :f

ovl-hilo .'therollerui is provided with a similar A belt 16 passes about the pulleys thereby insure continued feed thereof to thetube 22 the shaft 26 may be extended soithat it projects into the hopper as shown in Fig. 2 and thel `r end 49 of the shaft may beflattened .orotherwise` formed to agitate the rivets in the hopper.` fit is found in practice that agitating means :areiparv ticularly useful when therivets are large and tend to clog vin the hopper. .With 'smaller rivets no Aagitatng vmeans needbe'used.

The `chute, :lfis Vsha`ped "ncross'section and the lower .end 'thereof is located over'the .space 5.2.between the vbands 2. The driving roller '45f0r the bands is secured totheshaft :les4 Spjthat the delivery of rivets to the rbands vfrom/tube j22' is coordinated with the speed of'movement of the bands toward Ythe sorting mechanism or other ldevicesfor, handling the rivets. The rivets dischargedV into the chute 58 and atleast partially .arranged parallel to the bands by passage down "the chute are delivered tothe .bands .and some of them are' properly yposi-l tioned with the .heads I6 -restingonthe bands and the Shanks L8 .extending .downward between .thebands Howevenscmeof the rivets are not so arranged and .lie in positions crosswiseof the bands .or are inclined with respect thereto and these rivets have to'beldisplaced .or rear-i".anged`vvr .before they pass onto the sortingand electing devices. 1

In order to rearrange the improperly 'positioned rivets .guide means, shown as inclined .side plates 54 are located adjacent and aboye the bands 2` and a .rejecting `devicein .the form of ra rotatable .brush .is located .above the .bands .2 `and over the .space :.52 .between the bands. '1l-he brush ,is

spaced from .the 'bands a distance suflicient to .clear the ,heads of :those .rivets x 1vl'1ichl are prop- .erly lpositioned .on .the bands .but is close enough thereto to Aengage any improperly positioned rivets advancingwith the .bands vtoward the `sorting `devices. The-.brush is rotated to cause .the

vpulley 62. The brush .56 -rotates relatively rapidly so that improperly positioned rivets are re .moved from. .the bands .and are thrown `rear lower .portion Athereotto travel. in a .direction wardly toward .the chute and inclined side plates V54 of the `guide means. They are thus `.repeatedly returned to the-guide means so that .they will ultimately be directed into the proper position with the .shank extending jdownwardbe- `tween the bands.

, The rivets passing the rejecting device are .properly positioned with respect .to the bands. '2

.ibut 'are' frequently arranged too .close together .or Ithe heads may partially -overlap or they are .other-wise positioned improperly. .with respect to .each other sothat the Vmost yeffective and `ace- -curate operation of the sorting `devices is not assured. It is therefore desirable to arrange the rivets in spaced relation along the conveying means to permit successive treatment of each rivet independently. For this purpose spacing means are located adjacent the bands in position v stionto .engage .the lShanks of the rivets as they .areadvanced by the bands. The roller 64 is connected 'to a pulley 12 located above the bands 2 pulley 14.

'|2.and 1.4 asshown `in Fig. 2 and is driven from `a`pulley`"'T8' and "belt 88 from' the pulley 82 on shaftj.' In this way the adjacent surfaces of rollers `lill and v66 are rotated together. and at `the same speed `to engage the opposite'sides of rivets supportedfon` the bands.k 'These .rollers `,are e provided with yielding 'surfaces gformed of. sponge rubber or lthe like for engaging vthe rivets k and are driven so that they positively.grasprandtmove the rivets 'inthe same direction 'butat a slower 4speedthan the bands "2. vto `retard lthe rivets as the bands advance. A'The rive'tsaregtliusT spaced `apart along the bands andarearranged orthe most efficient sorting or 'handling'thereof After vbeing properlyarrallfgedipn the bandsll the rivets pass on with the bandSto-the sorting devices or other mechanismv by whichjthey-are While'the spacing means shown in ligs. ,1 .to ,4 yare located" below the bands. 2 and 4engage the shanks of the rivets vother forms ofnspacingmeans may' beused. v4Thus as shown infEig; 15` the .spainjg means employed may eng-age the `heads .of fthe rivets only. 'For this purpose a single roller 84 'is Alocated above thebands 2 and over the yspace 5 2Af therebetvveen.` The roller 8f4 isorii/en from themotor @or other source ofvgpower .byyibeltj 'vandjpulleyl'88and isy causedftorotte at ,a speed Som ev/"hat, Slowerf than lthe .bands 3.2.1,' The 4surface of the roller 'is 1f ormgel by. soft' rubber; oris. otherwisejcushioned so 4thatftle heads Lofv `the .rivets engaged .thereby pass readily loeneafththe-.roller but they fare ret.ardedin,.ther movement. The bands 'therefore advance faster 'than the-.rivets andthe rivets4 are .spacedapart by .being .dis-

placed.` longitudinally with respect to the band. A

y The roller 84jis found tofcliperate` very successfully by itself when `'the rivetsor articles, present a 'flat surface 'in engagementwith the' bands, inthe .case of round A'headed orfbraz'ier'headed rivets. However, fcountersunk .rivets wliiolciy have 'a tapered 'surface engaging "the `ban`d`s'f2 .tend'to vjtilt or rockon `the bands when moving into'jantl out jof engagement with vtheproimded 4surface of the' roller 84. In `sorrneinstances,l andgparticmany when the rivets are small ami-the shank of the rivet is very short, this tiltingi's suflicient to cause the rivetsto bey raisedgfrom'the bands so that Ithey -fallto the 4floor or 'are votherwise improperly handled. i When. sor-ting'such or otherv articles it is generally advisable 'to` use` the preferred form of spacing means shown-i-nFigk1 and located beneath/the bands.

`'I'heoperation `of .the .mechanism sown .and .described wil=l be:.apparent from '..t-he :foregoing description thereof but"v mayy be summarized fas follows: Mixed accumulation s ":pfy rivets are ,charged into the hopper .20 and-are fed aiew, at

The rollers 64' and e for delivery to the upper run of the conveying z ji'f$ are located directly beneath the bands in poward between the bands. Those rivets which are improperly positioned travel with lthe bands between the inclined side plate 54 to the brush 56 which rotates in a direction to throw such rivets back toward the chute so that they engage the chute or' side plates and are again directed toward the space between the bands. In this way the only rivets passing the brush are those which are properly positioned on the bands and therefore are cleared by the brush. `'I'he rivets passing the brush 56 are carried by the bands to spacing means which include the shank engaging rollers 64 `and 66 or the head engaging roller 84. These rollers are rotated so as to travel in the same direction but at a slower speed than the bands and there-4 fore retard the rivets while the bands continue to move so that the rivets are spaced apart along the bands and arranged for the most effective handling thereof by the sorting device or other apparatus to which they are passed.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as used in the handling of rivets passing to a sorting device it will be apparent that the articles being handled need not be rivets but may be any other type of article. It will also be apparent that the articles may be arranged for use or handling by anyother mechanism or de-` vices and the `type of conveying means and feed- `ing devices used may be varied to handle any preferred form or shape of article. The form, arrangement and method of operating the various elements of the combination therefore Vmay Some be altered or changed in many ways without departing from the` spirit and scope of the invention. In view thereof it should be understood that the particular embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings and described above is intended for illustrative purposes only and is not intended lto limit the scope of the claims.

We claim: n

l. In a rivet handlingdevice having parallel bands spaced apart a sufficient distance to sup` portl rivets with the heads thereof resting on the `bands and with` lthe Shanks thereof extending y downward between the bands, means for arranging the rivets onsaid bands in said position and in,`

spaced relation, comprising, means for delivering rivets to said bands, guide means located adjacent said bands for directing said rivets to the space between the bands, means for returning to said guide means those rivets carried by the bands and not so positioned, and means located below said bands and `engageable `with the shanks of the positioned rivets to space them apart along the bands. i

2. In a mechanism for handling rivets or other i similar articles, means for feeding rivets in a controlled manner comprising, a hopper `for receiving the rivets, a tube communicating at one end with the lower portion of said hopper and formed with a pluralityv of radially directed openings therein through which the rivets are delivered, adjustable means extending through saidtube to regulate the progress of rivets therethrough, and means for rotatingsaid tube.

3. A device of the character set forth in claim 2 in which the adjustable means comprises adjustable pins extendingthrough the walls of the tube.

HERBERT O. NIEDERER. OTTO C. NIEDERER. 

